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Industry·June 24, 2026
NCI Cancer Center Distribution Misaligned with U.S. Cancer Burden Geography
National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers, the most research-intensive cancer facilities in the U.S., are not geographically distributed to match where cancer burden is highest, according to leaders at Becker's Oncology Executive Summit in April. This mismatch creates access challenges for patients in high-burden areas who cannot reach NCI centers. The speakers characterized this as oncology's "last-mile problem" in care delivery.
Why it matters for managed care
Medicaid managed care organizations with cancer patients in underserved geographies face network adequacy and care coordination challenges when NCI-designated centers are not regionally accessible, potentially driving higher acute care costs and worse outcomes.
Managed Care
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